TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Steven Lederer, Director of Public Works
REPORT BY: Dewey Phan, Assistant Engineer
SUBJECT: Construction Contract Award for the “Pueblo Area Ditch Project, RDS 25-36”
RECOMMENDATION
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Award a Construction Contract to Peters Excavating, Inc. of Sebastopol, California in the amount of $199,738 for the “Pueblo Area Ditch Project, RDS 25-36”. (Fiscal Impact: $349,999 Expense for the construction contract and other project costs; Accumulated Capital Outlay; Reallocation of Budget; Discretionary)
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BACKGROUND
The Pueblo Area Ditch Project involves repairs and improvements to two existing open-channel drainage ditches commonly referred to as the “Sandra-Kathleen Ditch” and the “West Pueblo Ditch.” These ditches are located within an unincorporated subdivision in the City of Napa (historically known as the “Vista Manor”) and were originally developed in the 1950s. While the City and County of Napa share jurisdictional boundaries within this subdivision, the County holds ownership and/or easement rights over both ditches.
The original subdivision plans indicated these ditches would be enclosed in 24-inch diameter pipelines; however, the developer did not complete this design and left the channels as open ditches. Properties along Sandra Drive, Kathleen Drive, West Pueblo Avenue, Edith Court, Margo Court, Geraldine Court, and Burnette Court back up to these drainage corridors, and privately-owned fences currently delineate the edges of the County’s drainage easements.
Over time, both ditches have experienced significant erosion and degradation. Originally designed with approximately three feet of walkway space on either side, many sections now have less than one foot of clearance and are no longer safely accessible for maintenance without creating a tripping or falling hazard. The ditches are unlined and lack erosion control, resulting in undermining of adjacent private fences and associated property impacts. Napa County’s current Road and Street Standards would not permit the use of unlined open-channel ditches under similar circumstances, and the current conditions present clear safety, erosion, and contamination concerns. In addition to structural concerns, there are ongoing public health and safety issues. Some property owners have historically disposed of trash and fecal matter into the ditches behind their fences, creating hazardous working conditions for County maintenance crews and requiring the removal of illegally discarded materials. Due to access limitations, maintenance must be performed by hand, and the ditches are now overgrown with non- native and invasive plant species, including palm trees, bamboo, and Himalayan blackberry.
To address the issues at the West Pueblo Ditch, the Public Works Department proposes to install a subsurface storm drain pipeline to handle high frequency storms within the existing ditch and backfill it with compacted soil. This design will stabilize the area, reduce erosion and property loss, and improve long-term maintenance access. Staff therefore recommends proceeding with the proposed improvements for the West Pueblo Ditch. The Board authorized advertising for the project on June 2, 2026, and the Public Works staff opened bids on July 7, 2026, with the results listed below:
Gaub Trucking Corp San Ramon, CA $199,625
Peters Excavating, Inc. Sebastopol, CA $199,738
LVI Engineering, Inc. San Rafael, CA $205,160
Roots Strong Builder American Canyon, CA $207,600
Ground Control, Inc. San Francisco, CA $221,610
W.R. Forde Associates Richmond, CA $222,100
Imperial Construction & Engineering, Inc. Roseville, CA $230,000
Maggiora & Ghilotti San Rafael, CA $308,308
Taylor-Bailey, Inc. St. Helena, CA $368,000
The first lowest bidder, Gaub Trucking Corp., submitted their bid bonds late after the due date/time. Therefore, staff recommends rejecting this bidder as non-responsive. The engineer's estimate was $225,000. Staff recommends award to the second lowest bidder, Peters Excavating, Inc., for their responsive total bid of $199,738.
Construction is anticipated to commence in August 2026 and to be completed by October of 2026, weather and site conditions permitting. A 15% construction contingency of $29,961 is requested for any unforeseen items of work. $47,000 for Construction Management, $47,300 for Project Management and $26,000 for Construction Material Testing and Inspection. The total project budget is $404,999 of which $55,000 was already approved by the board on August 19, 2025.
Included in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget is $14,850,000 million in Project RDS00 for a list of Roads Capital Improvement Projects with not-to-exceed project amounts approved by the Board. Pueblo Stormwater Conveyance also known as Pueblo Area Ditch project 25049 was on the list with a not-to-exceed amount of $350,000. With respect to this agenda item, a budget amendment and subsequent transfer of funds will be prepared to reallocate $349,999 from RDS00 to Project 25049. These actions will be reviewed and approved by the County Executive Office and the Auditor-Controller Office to ensure compliance with the adopted budget and availability of funds.
Peters Excavating, Inc. is not a local vendor; however, the Public Contract Code requires that the construction contract be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder regardless of whether the low bidder is local or not. Staff reached out to the local construction contractor community by advertising the request for bids in the Napa Valley Register, Solano-Napa Builder's Exchange, OpenGov and by posting on the County website. Staff also sent "Notices to Contractors" to the local construction community.
Requested Actions:
1. Reject the bid from Gaub Trucking Corp; and
2. Award of a construction contract for the “Pueblo Area Ditch, RDS 25-36” to Peters Excavating, Inc. for their low total bid of $199,738.
FISCAL IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
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Where is it budgeted? |
Roads Fund, Division 20405 |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
Repairs are necessary to prevent further damage and ensure public and County employee safety. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
Construction will be completed in FY 2026-27 with no future impacts. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
More erosion will occur which would lead to losses in private property and potential claims against the County. |
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Strategic Initiative |
Build healthy, connected communities. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: Consideration and possible adoption of a Categorical Exemption Class 1: It has been determined that this type of project does not have a significant effect on the environment and is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act. [See Class 1 (“Existing Facilities”) which may be found in the guidelines for the implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act of 14 CCR § 15301; see also Napa County’s Local Procedures for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, Appendix B].